What Happened to The Cat?
by MODunit
Summary: We all know the lovable grinning feline whose not always all there, The Cheshire Cat. Now, a witch with a grudge on our furry friend has put a spell on him and Alice and friends are willing to hunt down the witch and change Cheshire back!
1. Chapter 1

What Happened to the Cat? Chapter 1

DarkCheshire: Alright, who wants to do the disclaimer?

Alice: How about Ches?

Cheshire: Dark Cheshire does not own Alice in Wonderland or any of its characters.

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Alice PoV:

It was just after tea time and I was sitting under a tree in front Hatter's house, reading. As usual, The Cheshire was laying on the branch above me, singing a little song he had learned from Hatter.

"Twinkle, twinkle little bat. How I wonder where you're at."

I did enjoy his singing very much. Sometimes I dozed off listening to him.

Hatter, Dormouse, and March Hare were playing their usual game of cards. Everything felt a bit too usual in a place that was completely unusual.

"Alice," Cheshire purred, appearing in front of me. "Would you like to go for a little walk?"

I smiled and asked, "Why do you ask?"

He grinned his usual mischievous looking grin and purred, "I just want to get away from the usual. Ever since the defeat of the Red Queen, everything has been to usual."

I closed my book and stood, smoothing my skirt. "Alright."

I set my book on the large table Hatter used for tea time and followed Cheshire down a path through the forest.

Cheshire PoV:  
I led Alice through the forest, humming my favorite song and jumping from branch to branch. I heard Alice giggle when I scared a twittering tea bird by swatting it with my tail. Grinning my trademark grin, I batted at a rocking horse fly.

"Oh, don't hurt the poor thing," she called when I knocked the horse fly to the ground.

I smiled, appearing in front of her, and flicking my tail back and forth. "Alice, you're always so polite even though you've slain a jabberwock and over-threw the Red Queen. How are you able to do that?"

Alice stopped walking and tilted her head, confused. "What do you mean, Ches?"

"I mean, if it had been the Hatter, or me, or anyone else, they would have become extremely rude."

She smiled and replied, "Oh. Well, I guess I'm not like you, or Hatter, or anyone else." She giggled.

I chuckled. "I guess you're right, my sweet Alice." She blushed slightly, smiling more. She always did that whenever Hatter or I called her 'my sweet Alice'. We didn't know why. Maybe she just never expected us to.

Alice PoV:

He was calling me 'sweet Alice' again. He and the Hatter had called me that more often since Red's defeat. I laughed, petting Cheshire's head gently.

After a while, we came to a fork in the narrow dirt path and saw a very upset woman pacing back and forth in front of a sign. The woman was dressed in a long black robe and pointed witch hat. Her long black hair ran down to her waist.

Cheshire tilted his head, grinning, and purred, "Excuse me. Are you lost, miss?" His tone was very polite. He obviously wanted to make a good impression.

The woman whirled around and scowled at him. "You!" she growled. Her eyes were covered by her hat so that only her mouth and nose were visible. "You mangy little floating flea bag!" she roared again.

Cheshire grinned wider. "You lost again?" he purred mischievously. I looked at him in confusion.

"Ches, do you know her?" I asked. He nodded and chuckled.

"I gave her directions before I met you, Alice. She seems to get lost easily," he purred.

The witch screamed, stomping her feet and flailing her arms. "You mindless feline got me even more lost with those horrible directions!" she shrieked. "I'll get you for that!" She held her hand out in front and a red energy jumped off of her fingers.

Cheshire raised an eyebrow and grinned wider. I took a step back.

The energy on the witch's fingers formed a red energy ball that floated underneath her outstretched hand. She grinned, turning her hand over so the energy ball was above her palm. "I've got a little spell for you, cat. Let's see how long you can last!" She then threw the red orb as hard as she could and it exploded into Cheshire.

Smoke blew everywhere, making us both cough. I caught a glimpse of the witch fleeing and she had more... feline qualities. I couldn't see much with the smoke though. It burned my eyes and caused me to cough again.

"Alice!" I heard Cheshire cough. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." The smoke started to clear and I could finally see Cheshire but... he looked different. I could feel my face turn bright red. "Ches? Is that you?"

Cheshire PoV:

I coughed, turning toward Alice. Her face was red and she was staring at me strangely. "What are you staring at, Alice?"

She opened her mouth but seemed at a loss for words. "You're naked," she said finally.

"I am a cat," I replied, a confused tone in my voice.

Her face got redder. "No, I mean... You're a human," she stuttered, turning away. I looked at my arms. She was absolutely right. I was human. And without clothes.

I scratched my head and found that I still had my cat ears. I also had my tail still too. "Interesting."

Alice glanced at me and said, her voice shaking, "Um, maybe you should... get some clothes on." I chuckled. Her face was still red.


	2. Chapter 2

What Happened to the Cat? Chapter 2

Alice: Why did you do that to him, DarkCheshire?

DarkCheshire: -giggles- Cause I'm evil and have too much time on my hands.

Cheshire: Girls, it's disclaimer time.

Alice: -sighs- Alright. DarkCheshire does not own Alice in Wonderland or anything in it.

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Cheshire PoV:

Alice and I found out quickly that my evaporating abilities didn't work while I was human. Alice decided, to lessen her embarrassment, that she would walk on the road and I'd have to hide in the bushes. It was most uncomfortable but I didn't want to turn my sweet Alice into a tomato again. I chuckled at the thought of her head _actually_ becoming a ripe tomato.

"Alice," I called from behind a fat tree, my cat ears twitching on my head. I was glad for the familiar feeling of my ears and tail still there but that human body was a bit harder to get used to. I kept tripping over weeds.

"Yes, Ches?" Alice replied after a minute. I couldn't see her face but I was guessing it was a pinkish color.

"Why are we going back to Hatter's for clothes?" I saw Alice ring her hands on her apron. "Uh, well, he's great at making clothes too, not just hats," she said, her voice trembling slightly. I guessed it must still be embarrassment.

I chuckled, wishing I was an actual cat again so that I could appear in front of her, displaying my signature grin that had crept across my face. "Alice, why are you so flustered all of a sudden? You were only like this when you first came to Wonderland," I said in an almost soothing tone.

It just seemed to make her fidget even more. "I've just never seen a cat turn into a boy is all. It's a bit of a shock to me."

I chuckled once more and let the conversation end there. It was starting to get cold anyway and I was greatly wishing for something to cover my body if not fur.

When we got back to Hatter's, March Hare and Dormouse were passed out and sprawling on the table, snoring with such intensity that I was glad have to hid behind Alice's favorite tree where the noise wasn't as loud. Poor Alice. She had to tiptoe past those thick-headed snoring idiots. (Of course, I would never tell Alice that I thought they were stupid buggers.)

Alice returned from the house, Hatter following her close behind, with a stack of clothes in her arms. "So, our furry friend has gone and messed with a witch? And I thought he got into enough trouble with the Red Queen," Hatter said, a hint of a tired grumble in his voice. Alice smiled slightly and handed me the clothes.

Alice PoV:

Cheshire stepped out from behind the tree after a few minutes and smiled at how good they looked on him. I looked too. It was the first time I got a good look of him without getting embarrassed.

He looked to be a nineteen year old young man, lean, and probably a head taller than me. His eyes still glowed that yellow amber color with that crazy glint in them and his teeth when he grinned were actually still pointed like cat's teeth. He still had the ears and tail, silver with teal stripes on them. Even his messy hair had the same colors, silver with teal streaks. The outfit that Hatter had made for him, even thought he didn't know exactly what size Cheshire was, fit him perfectly.

It was a fairly simple outfit. A black suit with a white shirt underneath and the black coat unbuttoned. Plain black shoes and a bright red tie completing the outfit. It really did look good on him. He looked handsome even.

Hatter smiled slightly at his handiwork. "What do you think, Alice?" he asked, chuckled slightly at Cheshire's fascination with the tie.

I smiled at Cheshire and said, "It looks really good on him. What do you think, Ches?" He looked up and grinned his famous grin. "It's fantastic. Hatter's best work I must say," he chuckled, tossing a mischievous glance at Hatter.

Hatter only shook his head silently and smiled. March Hare and Dormouse have start to stir by this time and Dormouse is the first to speak. "Who's that scruffy bugger in the suit?" he squeaks, rubbing his eye. Hatter looks slightly offended but realizes he was talking about Cheshire.

Then it's Cheshire's turn to look offended. "You don't recognize me, Dormouse?" he asked, frowning for the first time since I've met him. There was a note of annoyance in his voice that I've never heard before.

Dormouse stands up and whips out his little sword, jabbing the air at Cheshire. "No. Now, how do you know me, you strange ugly bugger?" he snapped. Cheshire really got cross then. I decided no to let this go any farther.

"Dormouse, this is Ches. He got turned into a human by a witch," I said hastily, placing my hand on Cheshire's arm to calm him. He did relax, thankfully.

"Really?" Dormouse squeaks in surprise. "So sorry, Ches. I didn't realize it was you. Beg pardon." He puts his tiny blade away and bows his head shamefully. Cheshire sighs, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. "It's fine, Dormouse," he mumbles just loud enough for the little mouse to hear him.

March Hare had been awake enough to hear me tell Dormouse that Cheshire had been turned human, so he didn't have anything to say, except to the tea pots but that was normal for him. Hatter had also gone back inside the house when Cheshire had started getting angry.

I looked at Cheshire, who's eyes were still closed, and I realized I was still touching his arm. I quickly drew my hand away, my face turning red in embarrassment. I didn't know why I felt so strange and embarrassed. I never felt like that before.

Cheshire opened one eye and glanced at me. He must have noticed the color of my face because he smiled and said, "My sweet Alice, you're getting work up again." That sentence didn't help my embarrassment one bit. I looked down at my feet and heard him chuckle.

"What's so funny?" I asked angrily, glaring at him. His smile was making it difficult to keep scowling at him and I almost smiled once.

He leaned toward me, the smile widening on his face, and when his face was only an inch away from mine, he said softly, almost in a whisper, "You just look so cute when you get embarrassed." Then he straightened up and tilted his head slightly.

I could have sworn if I could've seen my face when that happened, it would have honestly looked like a bright red tomato with steam coming out the sides. Cheshire broke into a light-hearted laugh, smiling at me, and said between bursts of laughter, "I'm sorry, Alice. I'm only teasing. Don't be too cross with me but you really are cute."

Cheshire PoV:

I finally got her to laugh. It may have been a half-hearted giggle but at least she was smiling. The red from her cheeks had started to fade but she still had a hint of pink on her face. She really was cute. Adorable even. It was something about the way she smiled that made her the cutest thing in all of Wonderland. She was the most charming person I had ever met. Great conversation too but I had never noticed how adorable she looked until then.

"I'm not mad at you, Ches," she giggled. "Just don't embarrass me too much."

I grinned, putting my hands in my pockets. "I'll try to resist, my sweet Alice."


	3. Chapter 3

What happened to the Cat? Chapter 3

DarkCheshire: Konichi wa!

Alice: Eh? What's with that language?

Cheshire: She's learning Japanese. She's getting pretty good.

Alice: Now if she could say the disclaimer in Japanese.

Cheshire: -snickers- DarkCheshire does not own Alice in Wonderland or anything in it.

**Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took so long! My inspiration has been very slow lately but it's starting to return. I'll try not to be so slow with the next chapter but I can't promise anything!**

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Alice PoV:

The next day was anything but ordinary.

I woke up, happy and refreshed. I got dressed as usual, brushed my hair as usual, and went to have breakfast with the others as usual. Only there was one difference that I had almost forgotten about. Ches being human.

"Alice!" Hatter called as I walked outside for breakfast. I instantly noticed the looked of frustration on his face. "What's wrong?" I asked, tilting my head as I usually did.

He gestured up at my favorite tree and sighed. The human Cheshire was laying, asleep, on a branch, one arm limply hanging down. "I've tried to wake him but he doesn't move no matter what I do and I really don't want to have to push him off the branch."

I giggled and tapped Cheshire's arm gently. His moaned sleepily then slowly blinked awake. "Morning, Hatter. Morning, Hare," he mumbled with a yawn. I looked at him in confusion because Hare was sitting at the table with Dormouse and Hatter and I were standing directly in front of the table.

"Uh, Ches? Hare's at the table. Are you alright?" I asked in concern. Cheshire blinked a couple times and I noticed his eyes looked a little foggy. I assumed from just waking up. "Oh, sorry, Alice. You look like March Hare for some reason," he said, his tone sounding very confused.

He jumped from the tree branch rather clumsily and stumbled a bit before regaining his balance. I watched in concern. "Ches, are you sure you're okay? You're acting kind of strange."

Cheshire turned to Hatter and, as if addressing me, said, "Maybe it's that spell. There might be some side effects." I tapped his shoulder and he blushed slightly. "Sorry. That spell must have ruined my vision."

I smiled slightly at him, trying not to make him worry too much. "Well, we need to find that witch, don't we?" I joked. "In the mean time, Hatter, you think you could make Ches some glasses?"

Hatter smiled and bowed to me. "With pleasure, my sweet Alice." I blushed slightly and thought I saw Cheshire look offended. Strange. He had never looked upset in any way before. Curiouser and curiouser.

Cheshire PoV:

I couldn't stand the Hatter. I didn't know why but when he said 'my sweet Alice', I suddenly felt mad. I really couldn't understand why. What was wrong with me?

I watched Hatter swagger off into the house to make some glasses for me. I glanced at Alice who was looking at me curiously. "What?" I asked, trying to keep the offended note out of my voice. I obviously didn't succeed because Alice winced slightly. What was wrong with my head?

"Sorry, Alice. What's the matter?" I asked again, this time with less of a sting. "Nothing, Ches," she said, smiling half-heartedly.

I sighed and insisted, "Tell me what's wrong. You're not getting away without telling me why you look upset." The smile on her face faded and she looked down at her feet as if the answer to my question was written on the ground.

"You just seem so different. It's like you're not the same Cheshire any more. It's not just your looks, something about your attitude has changed," she said slowly.

I closed my eyes for a moment. _So she noticed too. It wasn't just my imagination then. I really did act different. _I felt a hand on my arm and I opened my foggy eyes to look at who I assumed was Alice. Only when she spoke was I certain of it, "Ches, let's not worry too much now. It's time for breakfast anyway."

I walked beside her to the table and flopped down in a tall, royal looking purple armchair next to Alice, who sat in an even more regal red velvet throne. Hatter came out of the house, holding a very nice looking pair of glasses, and looked about as proud of himself as ever. I slumped lower into the purple fabric and felt utterly useless.

Alice admired the glasses and took them from Hatter, giving them to me. I felt so bad that I couldn't even move my arms to take them from her. She sighed and placed the glasses on my face herself.

It took a second for my eyes to adjust to the sudden clarity that the glasses provided. Nothing was blurry anymore besides the edges of my vision around the glasses. I managed to smile a little which made Alice smiled back. At least she made me feel like I wasn't completely hopeless. I shot a quick glance at Hatter.

He was grinning from ear to ear, absolutely beaming with delight at his latest accomplishment. I suddenly wanted to punch him. I clenched my fist behind my back so Alice wouldn't see it. Why was he so happy? Just cause he managed to make Alice happy? That was MY job. Wait, what was I thinking? Why is my mind so messed up? It couldn't have been part of the spell...

While I was struggling with my thoughts and trying to decide whether or not to slug Hatter, Alice had been waving her hand in front of my face. "Ches? Ches! What's wrong?" she said to me as I roughly jerked myself out of a daze.

"Yeah, sorry," I said, my focus firmly nailed to Alice as I relaxed my fist. "I was just thinking. Don't worry." Even as I said those words, I knew Alice had every right to worry but she simply smiled slightly, sat down, and began to eat her breakfast. I barely even touched mine. My head was just to mixed up with strange things that I didn't even realize it when Hatter eat my breakfast for me.

Alice PoV:

After breakfast and after I had cleared the table of the used plates, I found Cheshire asleep in his chair, his glasses still on his face. He was slumped with his hand supporting his head. He must have been thinking hard when he fell asleep.

I giggled slightly and gently removed his glasses for him. I was actually surprised to find that he didn't smile in his sleep. When I had first met him, I didn't think he truly slept at all. When I moved into Hatter's after defeating the Red Queen and Cheshire had spent the night with me, I had asked him if he sleeps.

He replied, grinning as he always did, "Why of course I sleep, my sweet Alice. Even a creature such as I needs to sleep."

I looked at Cheshire, sleeping sitting up in his chair, and thought how terribly uncomfortable that could be. Some small little impulse in my head caused my hand to move to his face and gently brush a strand of silver and blue hair out of his face. He stirred slightly, moaning softly. I jerked my hand away, heat quickly spreading over my face.

However, he didn't wake, only slump farther into the chair. I relaxed with a soft sigh, careful not to wake him. I thought he looked so peaceful while he slept but I guessed everyone did. I tiptoed silently away and slipped into the house as he stirred again. Could he sense my presence or something? Even in his sleep? Whatever the reason, he still didn't wake up. The spell must have taken more than his feline qualities out of him.

I walked through Hatter's elaborate and decorated house, running my fingers against a cool marble wall. It had taken me awhile to figure out were all the rooms were. Hatter had found me several times lost in some narrow hallway and trying to find the library that I had been looking for at least thirty minutes for.

I knocked lightly on the closed library door before opening it. Hatter sat on a cushioned stool that looked like the cushion was made of a patchwork quilt. He was looking over an old leather bound book with some strange writing on the cover. He looked up and smiled when he saw me. "How's Ches?" he asked with a chuckle.

"He fell asleep in his chair," I replied, returning his smile with my own. "He was still wearing his glasses." Hatter laughed a little. "He'll get used to them." I sighed sadly and glanced over my shoulder, where I half-expected Cheshire to appear, grinning like a fiend. "I hope he won't have to," I murmured just loud enough for Hatter to hear.


End file.
